Elevator.



Patented A r 3, 1900;

G. H. REYNOLDS.

E L E V A TO B.

(Application fi led J an. 27, 1900.)

(No Model.)

5 Sheets Sheei I,

INVENTOH -m|: Nouns PETERS co. mm'auwoq wuumu'rou. n. c.

No. 646,9!8. Patented Apr. 3, I900. G. H. REYNOLDS.

- E L E V A T 0 R.

(Application filed Jan 27, 1900.)

s Sheais- SheM 2 (No Model.)

IN VENTVOR WITNESSES ZMw/M? M vii/1%.

I no. WASHINGTON. n. c.

No; 646,9!8. Patehted Apr. 3, harm. a. H. REYNOLDS.

ELEVATOR. (.Qpplication filed Jun. 27, 19001] 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 (NoModel.)

ZZZ 6Y6 FIG] WITNESSES:

Patented Apr. 3, I900.

No. 646,9I8.

G. H. REYNOLDS.

ELEVATOR.

(Application filed Jan. 27, 1900.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 4'.

(No Model.)

1 I /NVENTO/? A77'0HNEYS No. .646,9I8,

G. H. REYNOLDS.

ELEVATOR.

(Application filed Jan. 27, 1900. (N 0 M o d e I.)

lllllil lW/////|/// Patented Apr. '3, moo.

5 Sheets-$heet 5.

aa B) llirED STATES- ATE T OFFICE.

GEORGE H. REYNOLDS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE OTIS ELEVATORCOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 646,918, dated April 3,1900. Application filed January 27, 1900. Serial No. 2,989. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. REYNOLDS, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of New York, in the borough of Manhattan and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElevators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved elevator in which the power tomove the car in one or the opposite direction is transmitted from amotor running continuously in one direction by suitable intermediatemechanisms to the suspension-ropes of the car and its counterweight; andthe invention consists in the combination, with a car and itscounterweight, of a suspension-rope for the same, drive-sheaves for saidrope, a motor running continuously in one and the same direction,.

and intermediate motion-transmitting mechanisms between said motor anddrivesheaves, each of said mechanisms being adapted to be thrown intooperative connection with the motor.

The invention consists, further, of .an elevator in which a motorrunningcontinuously in one and the same direction transmits its power by anintermediate friction mechanism to separate drivesheaves, ropes passingover said drive-sheaves, a car and its counterweight suspended from saidropes, and means for actuating said friction mechanism at will, so thatthe motor transmits motion directly to one drive-sheave in one directionand to the other drive-sheave in the opposite direction.

The invention consists, further, of brake mechanism operated inconnection with the friction mechanism by which the motion istransmitted from the motor to the sheaves and ropes controlling themotion of thecar and its counterweight; and the invention consists,lastly, of certain additional details of construction and combinationsof parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and finallypointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 to 9 are diagrams showing thedifferent arrangements of the suspension-ropes of my improved elevator,Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5 showing the power-transmitting motor arranged.

at the upper end of the elevator-shaft, while Figs. 3, 6, 7, 8, and 9show the motor arranged at the lower end of the elevator-shaft, andFigs. 8 and 9 also in addition thereto show a safety-rope for the car.Figs. 10 and 11 are diagrams showing the driving-gear of the elevator.Fig. 12 is a plan view of the motor, the mechanism for transmittingmotion from the same to the drive-sheaves, and the brake mechanism forthe motion transmitting mechanism. Fig. 13 is a side elevation of Fig.12. Fig. 14 is a detail vertical section of an electrically-controlleddevice for-operatin g one of the motion-transmitting frictionmechanisms. Fig. 15 is a detail vertical 1ongitudinal section of afriction-wheel on the motor-shaft which may be employed in my improvedmotion transmitting friction mechanism, and Fig. 16 is a diagram showingthe electrical connections and circuits employed in case the elevator isoperated by electric power.

Similar letters of reference indicate correelevator-shaft, while when asteam or hydraulically driven motor is used it is preferably located atthe lower end of the elevatorshaft. The continuous motion of the motorin one direction is transmitted by suitable motion-transmittingmechanism to the suspension-ropes of the car 0, said ropes passing oversuitable drive and guide sheaves located at the upper and lower ends ofthe elevator-shaft or at the upper end alone. The car 0 is suspendedfrom one of the runs of the ropes, while the counterbalancing weight- Wis suspended from a second run of the ropes. The ropes and their sheavesmay be arranged in any one oft-he forms shown in the diiferent diagrams,Figs. 1 to 9, either by arranging the motor and two drive-sheaves at theupper end and a guide-sheave at the lower end of the elevator-shaft, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, or by arranging two guidesheaves at the upperend and the motor and two drive-sheaves at the lower end, as shown inFigs. 3, 7, 8, and 9, or by arranging two drive-sheaves at the upper andtwo guidesheaves at the lower end, as shown in Fig. 4, or by arrangingtwo drive-sheaves at the upper end of the elevator-shaft and noguidesheaves at the lower end, as shown in Fig. 5, or by arranging oneguide-sheave at the upper end and the motor and two drive-sheaves at thelower end, as shown in Fig. 6. Any other suitable operative connectionof the motion-transmitting mechanisms of the motor with the ropes of thecar and counterbalancing-weight may, however, be made, as the differentfigures referred to show only a nu mber of the possible applications.

In Fig. 1 the car is suspended from a suspension-rope, which is guidedfirst overa top drive-sheave, then over a lower guide-sheave, and thenover a second top drive-sheave, the counterweight being suspended fromthe opposite end of the rope.

In Fig. 2 the car is suspended from a rope which passes over adrive-sheave at the upper end of the elevator-shaft to thecounterweight, while a second rope passes over the second drive-sheaveand a guide-sheave, one at the upper and the other at the lower end ofthe shaft, and is connected, respectively, to the upper and lower endsof the counterweight. 4

In Fig. 3 the car is connected at its upper and lower ends to two ropes,each of which is conducted over a guide and drive sheave, respectively,at the upper and lower ends of the shaft, two counterweights being usedin this case, one for each rope.

In Fig. 4 the car is suspended from a rope which passes over adrive-sheave at the upper end of the shaft to the counterweight, thelower end of the counterweight being connected with a second rope, whichpasses over a guide-sheave at the lower part of the shaft,

and with a rope which passes over a drive and guide sheave.

In Fig. 5 the car is suspended from two ropes, one rope passing over adrive-sheave at the top of the shaft to a counterweight, while thesecond rope passes from the top of the car over a second drive-sheave atthe upper part of the shaft to a second counterweight, which guides thefirst counterweight.

In Fig. 6 the car is suspended from a rope which passes over aguide-sheave at the upper part of the shaft to the counterweight, thelower end of the counterweight being connected by a second rope and adrive-sheave with the lower part of the car, while a third rope passesover a second drive-sheave at the lower end of the shaft, also to thelower part of the car.

In Fig. 7 the car is suspended from a rope which passes over aguide-sheave at the up-. penpart of the shaft, a drive-sheave at thelower part, and a second guide-sheave at the upper part of the shaft tothe counterweight, while a second rope connects the car over adrive-sheave at the lower part of the shaft with the counterweight, thedrive-sheaves being in this case arranged one above the other.

In Figs. 8 and 9 the carand counterweight are suspended in the samemanner as in Fig. 7, only that in addition to the suspensionrope a thirdor safety rope isemployed, which passes over an independentsafety-sheave and connects the upper end of the car with the upper endof the counterweight.

The intermediate motion transmitting mechanisms between the motor M andthe drive-sheaves consist of a friction-wheel F on the motor-shaft S andtwo friction-wheels F on two auxiliary shafts S. The frictionwheel F ismade of a number of disks f of carefully-prepared rawhide, which arefirmly held together by means of washers f, that are retained betweenshoulder f on the motor-shaft S and a screw-nut f engaging a threadedportion of the shaft, as shown in Fig. 15. A friction-wheel F of theconstruction described is capable of resisting the wear to which it issubjected; but itis obvious that any other approved construction offrictionwheel may be employed. The auxiliary shafts S are arrangedparallel with the motor-shat t S and equidistantly therefrom andsupported in suitable journal-bearings on the supportin g-beams of theelevator. The j ournal-bearings S at one end of the auxiliary shafts Sare so arranged that the shafts have a certain play in the same, whilethe journal-bearings S near the opposite ends of the shafts S arelaterally movable by mechanism hereinafter described, so that one or theother of the friction-pulleys F on the shafts S can be moved intofrictional contact with the drivingwheel F. The auxiliary shafts S andtheir friction-wheels may be laterally shifted by any suitable mechanismcontrolled from the car, said mechanism being operated by any I suitablepower, as desired. In the drawings electrically-operated mechanisms areshown for shifting the auxiliary shafts S. Each shifting mechanismconsists of a solenoid D, one for each shaft, which is supported on asuitable casing which surrounds and guides the shiftable journal-bearingS of the shaft S, as shown in Fig. 4, said solenoid controlling a coreD, the lower end or shank of which is guided between suitablerollersrr,of which the roller 0" is placed on a short shaft on thecasing,while the guide-rollerr is supported on the laterally-shiftablejournal-bearing. The lower end of the core D of the solenoid D isprovided at the side adjacent to the roller 0" with an incline 1- sothat when the core is raised or sucked in by the solenoid thelaterally-shiftable j onrnal-bearing S is moved with the shaft S by astrong spring S which is interposed between it and a disk I) on an adjusting-screw 1) into mesh with the friction-wheel F. Theadjusting-screw 1) serves to set the siesta a 3 spring S to the propertension,so that the shift able journal-bearing S is quickly and reliablymoved in lateral direction on the raising of the solenoid-core D. Asuitable circuit-controller E is arranged in the car, as shown in Fig.16, said circuit-controller consisting of a hand-oprated switch-lever E,which passes over a number of contacts 6 on asegmental bare, saidcontacts being connected with suitable resistances 6 so as to permit theregulation of the speed of the motor and car. The electrical circuitsand their connection with the car and solenoids are shown in Fig. 16.The motor is operated by the current supplied by any suitable source ofelectricity, so as to be run continuously in the same direction whetherthe car is at rest or moved in one or the opposite direction. Thesolenoids D are located near the auxiliary motion-transmit ting shafts Sand placed in circuit with the circuit-controller E. The switch-lever Eis moved to one side when one shaft S is to be shifted and to the otherside when the other shaft S is to be shifted. As soon as either one ofthe solenoids D is switched into circuit by the circuit-controller itscore is immediately drawn in, so that its incline r is moved above theguide-roller r on'the journal-bearing of the auxiliary shaft S, so thatthe lower narrower end of the core moves along the roller 7* and permitsthereby the instant lateral movement of the auxiliary shaft S under theinfluence of the spring S so that the friction-wheel F is pressed intofrictional contact with the transmitting friction-wheel F on themotor-shaft. At the opposite end of each auxiliary shaft S is arranged adrive-sheave G, over which sheaves the suspension-ropes R of the car andcounterweight are conducted, one auxiliary shaft and sheave serving totransmit motion to the car in one direction and the other shaft andsheave serving to transmit motion to the car in the opposite direction.The drive-sheaves G are provided with a plurality of grooves, so as topermit the use of a plurality of cables, if desired. The drive-sheavesare located at the upper or lower end of the elevatonshaft, while theguidesheaves for the ropes R are located at the opposite end of thesame.

On each auxiliary shaft S is arranged, preferably adjacent to thefriction-Wheel F, a brake-wheel F which forms, with a suitablebrake-band and a suitable actuating mechanism, an elfective brake forholding the car when at rest. When electricity is employed as the sourceof power, it is preferable to arrange a solenoid D of suitable strengthbetween the solenoids D on a bracketframe D the core D of the solenoid Dbeing connected at its lower end by pivot-links d with fulcrumed levers(1 the ends of which are connected with the ends of the brake-band F Thebrake-actuating solenoid D is located in a shunt of the main circuit, bywhich the current is supplied to the solenoids D, which prod uce theshifting of one of the auxiliary shafts S at the time, so that thebrakes are actuated whenever the car is stopped, but released as soon asthe car is started. When the car is to be stopped, the lever of thecircuitcontroller is placed at the median position on the segment of thecontroller, so that the current, after passing through the motor and aresistance as interposed between it and the switch, is returned to thesource of electricity without exciting either one of the solenoids D, bywhich the auxiliary shafts S are operated, or the brake-controllingsolenoid D Consequently as no current passes through the solenoid D thecore of the same is free to drop and presses the pivot-links d which areconnected with the brake-levers CF, in downward direction, so that thelatter are turned on their fulcra and the brake-bands applied to thecircumference of the brake-wheels, and hold thereby the car in position.When the car is to be started in one or the opposite direction, theswitch-lever E ismoved in the required direction, and thereby one of thesolenoids D and the solenoid D thrown in circuit, so that the motion isinstantly imparted to the car and the brakes simultaneously released bythe releasing of the brake-bands from the brake-wheels by the action ofthe solenoid D?. The core of the solenoid D is made heavy enough toproduce the action of the brakes and the holding of the car in positionwhen stopped. In place of the frictionbrake shown any other approvedbrake may be employed, as I do not confine myself to the specialconstruction shown.

The operation of my improved elevator is as follows: By moving theswitch-lever E of the circuit-controller from the middle contact of thesegment to an adjacent contact at one side of the middle contact thecurrent, which has heretofore passed successively through the motor,resistance 00, and lover E, is caused to pass through the motor,solenoid D one of the solenoids D, all of the resistance e at that sideof the segment toward which the lever has been moved, and through thelever E. The brakes are thereby released and one of the friction-wheelsF thrown into contact with the motor-wheel, whereby the motor, which hasbeen running free when the lever E was in median position, now imparts,by the intermediate mechanism and ropes, movement to the car. Uponmoving the lever E to the next contact the current is required totraverse less of the variable resistance c thereby increasing the speedof the motor and car. Upon moving the lever E to the last contact at theside of the segment all the re sistancee is cut out of the circuit, sothat the motor runs at a still higher speed than before, moving the carcorrespondingly. hen

brought to a standstill. while the motor con- IIS tinues running, thecurrent passing through the resistance 00, so as not to run the motor attoo high a speed. Upon moving the switch lever to the first contact atthat side of the segment opposite to the side before mentioned thesolenoid D is energized, together with the other solenoid D from thatbefore energized, whereby the other friction-wheel F is thrown incontact with the motor-wheel and the car moved in a direction oppositeto that in which it was previously moved, the speed of the car beingcontrolled by moving the lever E from one to the other of the variouscontacts, as before described.

When a safety-rope R and sheave G are to be used, the latter issupported above the upper drive or guide sheaves-of the suspensionropes,the safety-rope R being connected with the upper ends of the car andcounterweight, respectively, as shown in Figs.8 and 9.

By examining the different applications of the motion-transmittingmechanisms shown in Figs. 1 to 9 it will be observed that whenever thefriction-wheel of either one of the auxiliary shafts is placed inoperativeconnection with the friction-wheel on the motorshaft theauxiliary shaft and its drive-sheave are rotated always in oppositedirection to the direct-ion of motion of the motor-shaft, while thefriction-wheel of the second shaft and its drive-gear are rotated inopposite direction to that of the friction-wheel in mesh with themotor-pulley. This result is obtained when one or the other auxiliaryshaft is placed into operative connection with the motor, and isillustrated clearly in Figs. 10 and 11. The same result may also beobtained by supporting the auxiliary shafts in stationaryjournal-bearings and bringing the motor-shaft in operative connectionwith either one of the auxiliary shafts.

The advantages of my improved system of elevators are, first, that onedriving-motor only is employed, which is continuously run in the samedirection whatever be the direction of motion in which the car is run;secondly, that by the motion-transmitting mechanism which is employedthe proper motion is imparted to the car or the same stopped withoutinterrupting the continuous motion of the motor; thirdly, that the motormay be conveniently arranged at either upper or lower end of theelevator-shaft, according to the power employed, and, fourthly, that areliably-controlled elevator system is provided which is especiallyadapted for the employment of electricity as the driving medium.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with a car and its counterweight,of a suspension-rope for the same, drive-sheaves for said rope, a motorrunning continuously in one and the same direction, andmotion-transmitting mechanisms between said motor and drive-sheaves,

each of said mechanisms being adapted to be thrown into operativeconnection with the motor for moving the car in one or the oppositedirection, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a car and its counterweight, of asuspension-rope for the same, drive-sheaves for said suspension-rope, amotor running continuously in one and the same direction,motion-transmitting mechanisms between said motor and the drivesheaves,and means for moving each of said motion-transmitting mechanisms intooperative connection with the motor so as to impart motion to the car inone or the opposite direction, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a car and its counterweight, of asuspension-rope for the same, drive-sheaves for said rope,.a motorrunning continuously in one and the same direction, motion transmittingmechanisms between the motor and the drive-sheaves, and means for movingeach of said motion-trans mitting mechanisms into operative connectionwith the motor and imparting to one drive-sheave motion in oppositedirection to the motor-shaft and to the second drivesheave motion inopposite direction to the first drive-sheave, substantially as setforth.

4. The combination, with a car and its counterweight, of asuspension-rope for the same, drive-sheaves for said rope, a motorrunning continuously in one and the same direction, auxiliary shafts forsaid drivesheaves adjacent to and parallel with the motor-shaft,friction mechanisms between the motor-shaft and auxiliary shafts, andmeans for placing the friction mechanism of each of said auxiliaryshafts in operative connection with the motor-shaft, substantially asset forth.

5. The combination, with a car and its counterweight, of asuspension-rope for the same, drive-sheaves for said rope, a motorrunning continuously in one and the same direction, auxiliary shaftsadjacent to and parallel with the motor-shaft, a friction-Wheel on themotor-shaft, a friction-wheel on each auxiliary shaft, and means forthrowing the friction-wheel of each of the auxiliary shafts at will intooperative connection with the wheel on the motor-shaft, substantially asset forth.

6. The combination, with a car and its counterweight, of asuspension-rope for the same, drive-sheaves for said rope at one end ofthe elevator-shaft, guide-sheaves for said rope at the opposite end ofsaid shaft, a motor running continuously in one and the same direction,said motor being located between the drive-sheaves, auxiliary shaftsadjacent to and parallel with the motor-shaft, and means for placingeach of said auxiliary shafts in operative connection with themotor-shaft, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with a car and its counterweight, of asuspension-rope for the same, drive-sheaves forv said rope, a motorseems running continuously in one and the same direction, auxiliaryshafts for said drivesheaves located adjacent to and parallel with themotor-shaft, motion-transmitting mechanisms between the motor-shaft andthe auxiliary shafts, a brake mechanism for each auxiliary shaft, andmechanism operated simultaneously with the motion-transmitting mechanismof each of the auxiliary shafts for releasing said brake mechanism whenstarting the car and applying the same when the car is stopped,substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, with a car and its counterweight, of asuspension-rope for the same, drive-sheaves for said rope, a motorrunning continuously in one and-the same direction, auxiliary shafts forsaid drive sheaves adjacent to and parallel with said motor,motiontransmitting mechanismsbetween the motor-shaft and auxiliaryshafts, means for placing each of the auxiliary shafts in operativeconnection with the motor-shaft, and a safety-cable connected with thecar and counterweight an d passing over an indepen dent safety-sheave atthe upper end of the elevator-shaft, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination, with a car and its counterweight, of asuspension-rope for the same, drive-sheaves for said rope, a motorrunning continuously in one and the same direction, auxiliary shafts forsaid drivesheaves located adjacent to and parallel with the motor-shaft,movable bearings for one end of said auxiliary shafts, a frictionmechanism between the motor-shaft and each auxiliary shaft, and meansfor shifting each of. said bearings and auxiliary shafts so as; to throwthe friction mechanism of each of the auxiliary shafts into operativeconnection with the motor-shaft, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEO. I-I. REYNOLDS.

Witnesses:

PAUL GOEPEL, JosEPH H. NILEs.

